Is The Hackmaster RPG For Real?
Oh yeah, it's real all right. I've been taking baby steps in
the planning department recently to prepare for GMing a
Hackmaster game, so I wandered over to the Kenzer Co. web
site. There I saw a post in their forums from Vice-Prez
Jolly Blackburn who runs into gamers who feel that
Hackmaster is a joke or designed to be unplayable.

That's definitely not true. It's a playable game with an
attitude and I'm looking forward to running serious sessions
with lots of role-playing in them. The game hearkens back to
1st edition D&D and the rule books are extremely well-
written. This game will definitely not suit the tastes of
every GM or group, but if you like D&D 1E, Palladium FRPG,
Warhammer FRPG, Rolemaster, or d20, then I'd recommend
checking it out next time you're in your local game shop.

* * *

On a related note, I just picked up Ars Magica, 4th Edition
and can't wait to dive into that as well. Ars is in my
personal top 5 favourite RPG list and I'm keen to find out
what changes were made in the newest edition. (4th has
actually been out for awhile, but I'm just catching up now
and taking advantage of some of my new free time.)
Cheers,

Jump over to Dragon Scale Counters and pick up some of our
durable plastic counters for your campaign. Then you can put
that candy back in the cabinet and keep your dice for what
they're meant for - rolling damage. To sweeten the pot, we
will toss in a gargantuan dragon (a $4 value) if you make an
order of at least $10.

From One Tyrant To Another: Villainous Tips Inspired By A Real World Dictator

A Guest Article By John Dunkelberg

GMs can find great inspiration for tyrants and other leading
figures from our own history and current events. Biographies
of famous or infamous people can provide wonderful plot
ideas as well as gripping personality traits.

A recent article in The Atlantic Monthly on Saddam Hussein
("Tales of a Tyrant", http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/05/ )
is an excellent example of a modern tyrant whom you can draw
inspiration from for your campaigns.

While these tips are biased towards fantasy games, with a
little imagination they apply equally well to any game
genre.

A Tyrant's Origin Is A Great Place To Start

Cliches abound on how an unjust or hard environment molds a
character and affects people for life. Saddam Hussein has a
tribal tattoo on his right hand. While many Iraqis prefer to
remove these tattoos when they rise above their village in
Iraqi society, Hussein has not. It reminds him and those
around him of his birth.

Is your tyrant proud of his birth, or ashamed of it?

Might he fly into a rage when it's been suggested that his
birth was less than noble?

Has his family been raised into power alongside him? Or
are they forgotten, exiled, or destroyed as evidence best
removed from sight?

What sign does your tyrant carry of his origin?

A tyrant's roots give you a great opportunity to add depth
to your campaign world and its history, or to explore
elements only previously touched upon.

Examples:

The leathery, sun-beaten skin of the warlord is a constant
reminder that he was not born into the sheltered life of a
noble but as a wild tribesman of the steppes.

The self-crowned Queen has cultivated the accent of those
she deposed, but when angered her speech becomes colored
with her native tongue.

The bright, red hair of the dictator is a brilliant symbol
of his origin, and now many people who wish to curry favor
with him have taken to dyeing their hair to match.

Whether a tyrant acknowledges his origin or not, he might
still feel a great need to distinguish himself further from
lesser men.

Hussein has commissioned genealogists to create a
"plausible" lineage back to Fatima, the daughter of the
prophet Muhammad. Notice that this mixture of real and
wishful origin does not necessarily conflict in the mind of
the tyrant. Many tyrants claim right of rule due to blood.

Does your tyrant claim to be of the same bloodline as an
ancient hero or king?

Does he want to hearken back to a time when the empire
spanned many more star systems than it does now?

Does it help rationalize imperialistic designs to reclaim
the empire of an ancestor?

Does a holy bloodline prove that the tyrant's actions are
the will of the Gods?

An entire plot might be built around trying to get the truth
out to discredit the villain.

Examples:

The poet-laureate of the nation publishes a stirring
account of how the tyrant was abandoned as an infant upon
the holy mountain and was raised amongst the bears, which
are the totem of the God of Strength.

Wishing to stir his people to war, the tyrant claims to be
descended from a popular line of nobility who were killed
generations ago by a rival kingdom.

The demagogue claims a philosophical ancestry to the
founder of the nation, twisting well-known and popular
writings to support his goals.

The politician claims to have been present at a great
battle of recent history, when in fact he was at a desk
far from danger.

Before your players meet the tyrant they are likely to
encounter layer upon layer of subordinates. Hussein's
subordinates can be identified in the ever-narrowing circles
of those he trusts.

Who around your tyrant are trusted? Do they fear him,
trust in him, or worship him?

What demands does he make on them? (One general of
Hussein's was thrown from favor when he was noticed dozing
off in a military meeting.)

What tyrant would be without the equivalent of Hussein's
"al Himaya", personal bodyguards whom only the foolish
would dare defy because they are untouchable by any law?

Your story can naturally rise to a climax as the players get
closer and closer to the tyrant by piercing each successive
layer of subordinates via diplomacy, intrigue, or combat.

Examples:

The dictator does not trust anyone who has not served in
his army, and so all council positions are held by
officers.

The tyrant-priest has bestowed twelve swords upon his
inner council that are the symbol of his authority.
Unbeknownst to the twelve, the tyrant is aware of any
conversation that happens in the presence of the blades.

The cult leader is surrounded by brainwashed devotees each
of whom follows upon his words with a fanatic zeal, but
with a lack of imagination and foresight.

A tyrant's world is held together by fear and incredible
strength of ego. To show any weakness would be to allow
challenge from another.

Only the very closest to Hussein can be allowed to see him
hobbling in pain from his bad back or drinking wine
forbidden by Islam.

What weaknesses does your tyrant hide from the world?

Is he over-conscious of how his body weakens with age?

Has your tyrant been forced into a position where he must
pretend to hold great prowess or attributes that he does
not actually have?

Discovering a weakness might be a critical step in your
heroes' path to deposing the tyrant.

Examples:

A Queen in a male-centric medieval world is always seen in
an armoured breastplate that symbolically reinforces she is
as powerful as any man. Only those in "The Council of the
Boudoir" are allowed to see her relaxing with her hair down
and armour off.

The magnate of the dominant spacing guild is obsessed with
his aging body and regularly has cosmetic surgery to keep
himself looking young. Meanwhile, his agents seek to
rejuvenate his body by any means known to humans or
aliens.

The fearsome wizard has an annual ritual to make him
invulnerable to physical attack. But, in exchange, he has
taken on a potentially fatal weakness. With each year he
chooses a new weakness and slaughters all those who assist
him in the ritual. And, unfortunately, this year one slave
escaped the ceremony and the heroes are in a race with the
agents of the wizard to find the fugitive.

The children of a tyrant provide a source to explore the
tyrant's personality, add depth to your campaign, and
generate interesting stories and side-plots.

In The Atlantic article, two sons of Hussein are mentioned.
The eldest, Uday, is a flashy hedonist, while the youngest
(Qusay), is cold and disciplined.

Such duality begs for a story and presents wonderful plot
opportunities. Uday was the heir apparent until he killed
one of Hussein's advisors in a fit of passion. Hussein beat
Uday brutally, and now grooms the quieter Qusay to power.

Does your tyrant have children?

How have they grown up in the shadow of their parent's
power?

Do they revel in their untouchability?

Are they burdened by responsibility?

Does the parent see them as the closest of their innermost
circle, or are they potential threats to power that must
be watched carefully? If you recall the saying "keep your
friends close, and your enemies closer", perhaps they are
both.

Are the children being groomed for succession (see below),
for marriages of policy with powerful neighbors, or as
tools?

If your tyrant does not have children, is it through
infertility, discipline, or fear of weakness?

Fans of Frank Herbert's "Dune" will remember how Baron
Harkonnen set up the brutish Raban to tame Arrakis, with
every intent of deposing him to put the favored nephew Feyd
in control after him.

Examples:

The dictator grew up in a time of harsh war and feels his
sons are weak and pampered in comparison. He dispatches
them to the most war-torn corners of his empire, hoping
that the fire of battle will harden them into men worthy
of carrying on his name.

The aging vizier plays his children against each other and
his enemies in court intrigues. He has already had the
eldest daughter poisoned when she became over-eager in her
quest for power.

The only son of the king has retreated deep into the books
and scrolls of the royal library. The king is glad that
the son has access to the education he never had, but the
son secretly seeks an escape from the terrible burden of
rule that he must eventually bear.

Though they wield great power and may field armies of spies,
tyrants often remain blind to information about the world
outside the court.

Hussein's advisors are caught in a terrible bind since their
duty is to provide him with information about the outside
world. If they tell him truth, they might bring his anger
down upon them and their families. But if they tell him
lies, then when eventually he discovers the truth he will
see them as betrayers.

Leaders of all kinds can be blinded to what is really going
on beyond the castle walls. Tyrants who hate the idea of
"freedom of the press" or unguarded tales of a traveling
bard are particularly blind. Lies compound upon lies and
provide great possibilities for court intrigue.

Wiser tyrants may recognize this weakness and seek to
overcome it though. A classic example from numerous stories
tells of the king masquerading as a commoner in order to see
past the filtered truth of his court.

Examples:

Can the advisors dare tell their Emperor that a handful of
planets on the galactic border are in revolt? Or is it
best that they not tell him and try to handle it
themselves so that, by the time he finds out, the
rebellion will have already been crushed?

Three years of drought have left the people on the brink
of starvation but the ministers hide this from the
president-for-life. They fear what will happen if he finds
that the money meant for agriculture has instead enriched
their personal estates.

Realizing that the court actively withholds the truth from
her, the queen compels the PCs to investigate the violent
death of a loyal general.

No tyrant wants to face the day when they lose control to a
successor, but most also want to found a legacy that will
revere them beyond death.

Hussein desperately wants to be the founder of a great
resurgent Arab culture and be honored for centuries to come.
Statues of Hussein abound, and every tenth brick used to
rebuild the ancient palaces has Hussein's name or mark
placed upon them.

How does your tyrant want to be remembered?

Does she deny her mortality, or does she make preparations
for the next tyrant?

Does she make the current favored successor obvious, or
does she keep everyone guessing so that all potential
successors need to keep proving themselves to her?

Perhaps she has a favorite son but knows that he is
unsuited to rule compared to the younger daughter?

How is she molding the future (and the past) to make sure
that her greatness is acknowledged for the ages?

This provides you with great symbols for your PCs to face.
The celebration in freeing a village from the tyrant might
culminate in tearing down his statue, a foreshadowing of the
eventual climax of your story line.

A tyrant's nature means that enemies are constantly awaiting
a weak moment. Hussein is said to never sleep in the same
bed twice, has testers check his food for poison, and uses
decoys extensively. On Hussein's birthday, a favored general
who mimicked Hussein's mannerisms received the adoration of
an unknowing, gathered crowd.

Kings throughout history have employed poison-testers and
Hussein certainly is not the first to fear an assassin.

What does your tyrant do to avoid those who hate him?

Is he so self-confident that he feels he cannot be killed?

If your game is of the D&D kind of fantasy, it may well be
that your tyrannical high-level mage is right in feeling he
can walk the streets and no mortal attack can penetrate his
defenses.

For a gritty science-fiction game, the tyrant might not be
safe if his enemies know what world she is on if planet-
buster missiles exist. For such a space tyrant, legions of
cloned decoys may be necessary while she resides in a
capital ship hidden in an uncharted system.

A tyrant's great charismatic power can have multiple
channels of expression, each showing a facet of her terrible
power.

Hussein fancies himself an expert in every field and
question that borders on his rule and likes to demonstrate
his intellectual prowess. As befits an intellectual, Hussein
is said to usually be extremely polite and calm, his rage
being a rare and terrible glimpse underneath the mask.

Does your tyrant control by persuasion, physical
intimidation, or blackmail?

Is your tyrant constantly raging at subordinates, smashing
things or even people?

Or is your tyrant icy, with the court knowing that the
quieter her voice gets the more dangerous her mood?

The demeanor of the tyrant is a great way to set the mood
for a scene.

Perhaps the most difficult thing to remember is that your
tyrant is, or at least was, a hero to someone. Unless you
like your game worlds to be black and white, the tyrant will
have faithful followers. And when caught by the eyes of the
tyrant, everyone is better off if they look and act just
like the faithful.

Thus, the common folk are likely to have two faces: the
public face when the spies of the tyrant may be watching,
and the private face that despairs and perhaps craves
revolution.

With both high-tech and high-magic settings, the private
face has to turn more and more inward to escape drawing the
attention of the tyrant's police.

Does your tyrant still command the devotion of a majority
of those he rules?

Is rebellion seen in the streets every day?

How hard is it for the players to find an opposition
figure or party?

The opposition of the tyrant are likely to be the allies of
your PCs, so defining them gives shape to your story.

Examples:

The warlord has great strength amongst the rural folk from
whence he came, but inside the cities the intellectuals
chafe at his rule. The library once was the center of
debate and opposition until the warlord was tipped off. As
his soldiers torch the library, rebels flee with the
scrolls of the nation's history: each scroll now a symbol
of freedom.

The tyrant has carried his racial group to dominance with
him over the former rulers. Now a member of the tyrant's
race, claiming to desire rebellion as well, approaches the
rebel PCs. Can the PCs put aside racial prejudices and
dare to trust the newcomer?

The followers of a dark god have taken control of the
nation under their high priest. The opposition hides in
cellars with candles lit to the god of light and justice,
praying for heroes to lead the return to freedom.

Consider what titles or nicknames his people give to your
tyrant. Saddam Hussein is referred to as the "Great Uncle"
of the Iraqis. The familial nickname shows his common touch,
and is fertile for satire.

What outward attributes do the people see in your tyrant?

Could an adjective both be used to praise and condemn the
tyrant, depending on how it is said?

Does the nickname come from his origin?

Does the nickname show the relationship between ruler and
ruled? Perhaps it is from a known predilection or weakness?
Merely uttering a nickname that demeans the tyrant or makes
light of a weakness may be a terrible crime in a land that
is ruled by fear.

Examples:

The tyrant known as "The Northern Duke" now rules the
proud but downtrodden southerners.

In the taverns the men call the young king "The Lusty
Prince" for his lack of control around women, while in
public the women have taken to wearing loose and
concealing dresses in the hope of avoiding abduction by
eager agents of the crown.

People cower in fear and detachment of the tyrant they
only call "The Black Master".

The self-proclaimed defender of the faith is called "Our
Holy One" in disgust as they hear of his latest
egotistical law.

If a realm in your world is ruled by a controlling figure,
you have a great opportunity to extrapolate the realm from
his personality. This can make the tyrant very vibrant for
your players, and make the PCs itch to overthrow or at least
thwart him. Certainly, many of these attributes apply to
more benign rulers as well, and even the most good hearted
queen is likely seen as an enemy to some.

Enjoy!

Readers' Tips Of The Week:

Use NPC Reactions For Small Rewards
From: Henry O.

Handing out experience points and magic items willy-nilly
can rapidly unbalance a game. Therefore, when I feel the
need to reward one of the players for clever actions, I
often employ boons like simple NPC approval or a good
(local) reputation.

You'd be surprised how little things, such as housewives
smiling at the PC in the street, kids asking for stories, or
innkeepers knocking a few copper off the price of a meal can
truly appeal to the player's ego.

Just knowing that people, even those in a small area,
recognize his/her name can make a player a bit more proud,
and thus, a little more enthusiastic.

Training Bonus: Rewarding For Clever Skill Use
From: Maarten van B.

In my home-made gaming system, the amount of training a
character has in a skill is given as the number of training
hours.

The actual skill score is calculated from these training
hours, the overall difficulty of a skill (magic skills
require more training hours to master than card games) and
the average learning ability of the character.

When a character uses his skill in a unique and original
way, I usually award him or her with a few bonus training
hours in the appropriate skill.

Firstly, this increases his skill, and secondly, it reflects
the fact that you can sometimes learn a lot from doing stuff
in a way you have never done before.

Good roleplaying can also be rewarded in this way. One time,
two PCs were almost caught by the city guards while breaking
into a house. They quickly pretended to be plastered and
trying to get their key into the lock of their house... As
the guards pointed out to them they were at the wrong house
they were extremely grateful and had the guards bring them
home while keeping up the act the entire time.

As a reward for their inventive roleplaying, I gave both of
them a few training hours in the Acting skill. Since neither
had ever bothered with the acting skill they had no score in
it whatsoever, but now they do, and they are extremely proud
of it, even though a lowly village thespian would not want
to be seen with such a score.

I give bonus points for good roleplaying, called Role-
Playing Bonus Points. These are spendable like luck points,
and can often make the difference in a failed die roll. They
are totally up to my interpretation as how they are to be
used. In less important roles, I simply provide a successful
result for spending a point. In critical situations, I allow
a reroll for each RPBP spent.

[Comment from Johnn: I entered my name. You may address me
as Ruzkrut the Atrocious from now on. :) This tool is pretty
cool and has great potential for use as an on-going name
generator for your campaigns. Thanks Forrest.]

Especially since I'd just finished a book called "The
Concubine's Tattoo" by Laura Joh Rowland that weekend. It's
set in 16th Century Japan and the central focus deals with
the murder of one of the Shogun's concubines by the use of a
rare poison. Besides being well written, this book is a
good illustration of some of these tips in action, more
specifically tips 1(d) Obtaining the poison, 1(e)
application and use; 1(f) effects of the poison; and 3
sowing fear.

This book has lots of twists and turns, so I'd recommend it
to anyone, not just someone running a campaign set in the
book's milieu.